1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an address label preparation processing system for printed matter dispatching operation, and more particularly to an address label preparation processing system for printed matter dispatching operation which sequentially controls the preparation of bundles of printed matter, such as newspaper, and the preparation of address labels, and combines the address labels with the bundles for sorting and delivery.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In this type of printed matter sorting and delivery job, the following systems have heretofore been employed to perform control functions to correlate the bundles of printed matter with address labels for dispatching.
(i) A system in which address labels are printed and arranged in advance in the sequence of bundle delivery and set into the address label processing device, which reads the data on the number of copies per bundle coded on each address label in the form of bar codes or numerals and transmits the data to the counter/stacker; or reads the dealer code on the address label and transmits the data on the number of copies per bundle to the counter/stacker from the computer, so that the counter/stacker is caused to prepare bundles according to the given data and attach the prepared address labels onto the bundles prepared and transported by the counter/stacker.
(ii) A system in which the data on the number of copies per bundle are given, under the control of a computer, to the counter/stacker in accordance with the sequence of delivery to cause the counter/stacker to prepare bundles, and as the bundles are transferred from the counter/stacker to the stack conveyor, the names of dealers and the number of copies per bundle are displayed for the operator to check the address labels by comparing the contents of the labels with the information displayed and manually attach the labels on the bundles.
Furthermore, when printing printed matter of the same name (type) on a plurality of press units, the number of copies being printed has heretofore been equally allocated among the press units. With such an arrangement, however, it is extremely difficult to adjust the system to cause all the press units to complete the printing process at almost the same time because of the effects of printing speed, web breakage, spoilage, etc., or owing to breakdown of press units or mail-room equipment. Aside from these problems, since various editions of newspaper, for example, are printed in the same time zone, the operation schedule of newspaper transportation trucks has to be finely and systematically worked out to transport such various editions to different destinations. This requires the off-the-press time to be strictly controlled in accordance with various truck transportation courses for each edition. To this end, the operator has to carefully monitor the time of completion of printing at all times. In the event of a problem, it is necessary to easily and flexibly cope with the problem inputting a change in the allocated number of copies being printed to the press units and move address labels to other units (particularly in the failure of the counter/stacker or the address label tagging device).